The invention relates generally to the field of archery and the problem of being able to see a target when looking through a peep sight in low light conditions. More specifically, this invention relates to a peep sight device that changes opacity in order to help an archer see a target better when aiming through a peep sight in low light conditions.
A peep sight is a rear reference point to help aim a bow. A peep sight is usually attached to the bowstring and is essentially a hole which you look through to assist in aiming. While it is possible to shoot a bow without a peep sight, it can be difficult to draw the bow back to the same location, or anchor point, which can result in less accuracy. Peep sights are very common and most archers use them as they allow the archer to aim faster and more accurately.
One drawback with peep sights is that they can be difficult to see through when shooting a bow in low light conditions. Low light conditions are especially common when hunting with a bow as most hunting occurs at sunrise or sunset. In these low light situations, a common problem is that the archer can see the target when not looking through the peep, but when the archer draws and tries to aim the bow and look through the peep then he can no longer see his target. This is partially due to the hole in the peep which constricts the sight window, but it is also due to the fact that most peeps are made from opaque materials that do not allow light to transmit through the peep. An opaque material blocks the amount of available light that is reflected off the target, making it difficult for the archer to see the target.
Often times bow hunters will try to enhance their low light viewing through their peep sight by drilling out and enlarging the hole in their peep sight. This does help some, but also leads to less accuracy as a larger hole provides more room for error at the rear reference aiming point. The peep sight material remains opaque so the peep still blocks available light.
There are many previous peep sight designs, but few have tried to solve this problem of losing your target in low light conditions. Examples would include U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,569 issued Dec. 7, 1999 to Keith W. Wilson and U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,329 issued Jan. 3, 2006 to David Michael Strathman. These peep sights add light gathering fiber optic material in the peep sight. While these peeps sights do gather more light with the fiber optic, they are only gathering general light. In order for the archer to be able to see the animal or target, the archer's eye needs to better see the small amount of light which is reflected off the target. A peep sight with fiber optics helps to see your peep, it does not help to see your target. Not only does the light gathered by fiber optics not help in seeing the target, but it could be distracting or blinding, making it more difficult to see your target. General light that is gathered within the peep sight can have the reverse effect of drowning out and overcoming the small amount of light that is reflecting off the target. This is the equivalent of trying to look around in a dark room and then somebody shines a flashlight directly in your eyes. The light from the flashlight is distracting and blinding and does not help you see around the room. The unwanted light makes your pupils constrict, making the objects in low light harder to see.
Another device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,839 issued Oct. 27, 1992 to Robert C. Beutler. The Beutler device attempts to solve the low light problem by adding artificial, battery powered light in the peep sight itself. While the battery powered light does add more light in the peep, it is only general light and not light reflected from your target. In order for the archer to be able to see the animal or target, the archer's eye needs to better see the small amount of light which is reflected off the target. An illuminated peep sight helps to see your peep, it does not help to see your target. Additionally, the artificial light could be distracting or blinding. Light that is artificially produced in the peep sight can have the reverse effect of drowning out and overcoming the small amount of light that is reflecting off the target. This is the equivalent of trying to look around in a dark room and then somebody shines a flashlight directly in your eyes. The light from the flashlight is distracting and blinding and does not help you see around the room. The unwanted light makes your pupils constrict, making the objects in low light harder to see.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,921 issued May 9, 2000 to David J. Lawrence and Terry R. Whitford has a substantially transparent material with a colored contrast ring. The colored contrast ring is useful in well lighted conditions because the transparent material is difficult to see through in well lighted conditions as it can result in a lot of glare and a halo effect when looking through it in bright light. When there is bright light, the colored contrast ring is easy to see through. However, the colored contrast ring is not useful in low light conditions as the added pigment of color blocks some of the small amount of light that is reflecting off the target, and prevents some from reaching the archers eye. This system would be ideal if it could have the colored contrast ring when in bright light and no colored ring when in low light conditions, but it cannot unless it was constructed where the archer could remove the colored contrast ring but that is not practical in every hunting situation.
The embodiment or embodiments described herein may solve these shortcomings as well as others by proposing a novel peep sight device that will change opacity with photochromic activity. The peep sight of the present invention will turn dark in well lighted conditions to prevent glare and to provide contrast, yet will change to substantially transparent in low light conditions thus allowing more light reflected from the target to reach the archer's eye.